Knockdown crate.



O. KLING.

KNOCKDOWN CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1012.

1,107 31 2, Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

L7 j 2 SHEET5-SHEET 1.

0. KLING.

.KNOGKDOWN CRATE. APPLICATION rnlnn NOV.13,1912,

1,107,312, Patented Aug.18,1914.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

5 l'llllllllllll 1 l I!!!- INVENTOR OJZZIJ Allarney 5 I FFEQEQ KNOCKDOWNCRATE.

Application filed November 13, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ORLANDO KLING, a citizenof the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver andState of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inKnockdown Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to knock down shipping crates, and has for one ofits objects to improve the construction and increase the efficiency andutility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructeddevice wherein the parts may be separated for shipment in knocked downcondition and set up where required and without detaching any of theparts.

Anoth r object of the invention is to provide a simply constructeddevice having protecting means at the, corners which operate in atwo-fold capacity, as means for coupling the parts and likewise as meansfor protecting the Corners.

With these and other objects in view the invention'consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is aplan view of the improved device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly insection. Fig. 3 is a perspective view from the inner side of one of thefastening devices. Fig. l'is a perspective View of one of the tonguemembers of the fastening device. Fig. 5 is a view of the base portion ofthe fastening device viewed from the outside. Fig. 6 is a detachedperspective view from the outside of one of the corner guard members.Fig. 7 is a view from the inside of one of the corner guard members.Fig. 8 is a detachedperspective view of the top member. Fig. 9 is adetached perspective view of one of the end members. Fig. 10 is adetached perspective view of one of the side members. Fig. 11 is adetached perspective view of the bottom member. Fig. 12 isa perspectiveview of one of the seal receiving fastening devices. Fig. 13 is adetached perspective view of one of the locking pins.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 18, 1914.

Serial No. 731,074.

The improved device may be formed of any required size and of anyrequired proportion, and it is not desired to limit the invention inthis respect.

: The improved device comprises a bottom member 10, end members 1112,side members l814l and top member 15, preferably of wood of any requiredthickness, the thickness of the material depending upon the purposes forwhich the crate or casing is to be used. The bottom membe' is surroundedby a frame formed of l. bars with one web of each bar bearing over thelower side of the bottom and the other web of each bar projecting abovethe upper face of the bottom, as shown in Fig. 11. The L bars at theends of the bottom are designated by the character 16 and are providedwith longitudinal ole ts at their ends and the portions of the bars inadvance of the clefts bent at right angles to the longitudinal webs andoverlapped, shown in Fig. 11. The l. bars at the sides of the bottom aredesignated by the character 17 and extend at the ones over theoverlapped portions of the end bars. The members 16-1Z are secured inany suitable manner, preferably by riveting. The bottom 10 is secured tothe sides by the same screws or other fastening devices by which theguard members 20 are secured, as represented in Figs. 1 and lhe top ofthe improved device is likewise provided with terminal l. bars 18 andside L bars 19 and are practically duplicates of the L bars of thebottom member and provided with longitudinal. clefts with the portionsexternally of the clefts bent at right angles and overlapped, as shown,and fastened in any suitable manner to the top. Bearing beneath thebottom member at the corners are guard devices represented respectivelyas a whole at 20, preferably formed, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, by beingstruck up from a sheet of metal, preferably steel, with one edgerelatively thin and the remaining edges relatively thick. The thinnerportion of the corner guard members is designed to receive the holdingrivets or other fastening devices 21, while the outwardly swelling orthickened portion is designed to support the device and receive theimpact when the de vice is moved from place to place, or up ended, orotherwise moved about. The top 15 and ends 11 and 12 are likewiseprovided with other sets of the guard members 20 and arranged insubstantially the same mannor. The guard members 20, it will be noted,bear over the overlapped corners of the L bars and are riveted orotherwise securely fastened to the top and bottom members.-

By providing the top member with the guard members the case is protectedand guarded from injury when over turned, as will be obvious. Each ofthe guard memhers is provided with a recess 22 at its inner end andopening outwardly so that holding devices such as rivets, or screws maybe inserted into the structure, as hereafter eX- plained.

The end members 1112' are constructed precisely alike and are providedwith attachments whichare likewise precisely alike, so that thedescription of one will suffice for both. Each of the end members isprovided at each of its corners with a recess 23, and bearing againsttheinner face of each end member adjacent to itscorners is a plate 2 1having an integral lug 25 engaging in the adjacent recess 23. Each plateat isv likewise provided with inwardly directed lugs 26 spaced apart andlikewise spaced from the end edges of the end members.

Bearing over the end of each end memher is an 5... bar, represented asawhole at 29, with one web of the L bar bearing over the outer face ofthe end member and the other web extending beyond the inner face ofthe'end member. By this means spaces v are left between the lugs 26 andthe adjacent web of the L member 29 and into this space the ends of thesides -131 t are received. By this'means the sides are effectually heldfrom outward movement by the adjacent 'webs of the L bars 29 and againstinward movement by the lugs 26." The L bars 29 are further securedbyscrews or like detachable fastening devices 27 which are passedthrough the outer faces of the L bars and through the'lugs 25 andlikewise through the overlapped terminals of the end Lbars 18 of the topwith the end edges between the adjacent webs of the L bars 29. Attachedto the inner faces of the sides 131 1'near each corner'is a small plate28 enlarged at the outer end, as shown at 30, and adapted to fit betweenthe lugs 26 and the adjacent web of the i. bars 29. When thus assembleda pin 81 is inserted through the lugs 26 and the enlargement 30 of themember 28 and thus coupling the side members to the end members. Theupper end of the pin 31 is enlarged laterally into ahead and received ina counter-bore in the aperture in the upper lug 26 so that the pin isprevented from passing'entirely through the lugs and at the same timeprevented from longitudi nal' movement when the top and bottom membersare disposed in position.

The top member with its attachments is constructed as shown in Fig. 8,the end members constructed as shown in Fig. 9, and the side membersconstructed, as shown in Fig. 10, while the bottom member is constructedas shown in Flg. 11, and the parts thus arranged with the attachmentsapplied will be created or otherwise supported for shipment knockeddown.

After the body members are assembled as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,one of the guards 20 is located beneath the L bars of the bottom memberat their overlapping corners, and one of the guard members likewiselocated above the top member at each corner and engaging over theoverlapping portions of the L' bars with the securing devices 21engaging throughthe L bars and respectively into the body members 1015.

.Bythis means the members 20 perform the twofold function of guards toprotect the body members and the L bars,'and likewise 7 over the endmembers passes through the L bars and into the projecting 1ugs25 of thebase members 2 1, as shown, so that the parts are thoroughly and firmlyfastened together and all danger of dismemberment, obviated.

The upper guard members of the casing are attached to the ends of-thecasing near its upper edges and each provided with a seal wire receivingaperture32, while the head of the fastening device 27 is likewiseprovided with a seal wire receiving aperture 38, so that a suitable sealmay be applied to secure the cover in-pl ace after the fastening devlces27 are turned home. Having thus descrlbed the nvention what I claim is:f V

1. In a knock-down crate, a body including bottom side and end membersand a top member, L bars bearing upon the confronting edges of said bodymembers and overlapping at their terminals, fastening devices eachincluding a base attached to one of the end members and with a lugextending through the same, fastening devices attached to thesidemembers, a set of guard members bearing upon said top and bottom membersand engaging'over the L bars at their overlapping terminals, a secondset of guard'members engaging said end members, means for connecting thefastening members of said ends to the fastening mem bers of said sides,and means for fastening the first-mentioned guardmembers to said L barsand the lugs and operating to reinforce and protect the L bars and'thebody members. I

2. In a knock down crate, a body including bottom side and end membersand a top member bearing upon the body members, L bars bearing upon theconfronting edges of said body members and overlapping at theirterminals, guard members bearing upon said top and bottom members andengaging over the L bars at their overlapping corners, means forfastening said guard members to said body members and to said L bars andoperating to reinforce and protect the same, fastening devices eachinclud ing a base and a tongue attached respectively to the end and sidemembers, each base having a lug extending through the body member toWhich it is attached and engaged by the adjacent L bar, fastening meansconnecting each of said tongues to one of the bases, and fastening meansoperating respectively through the L bars and into the base lugs.

3. In a knock down crate, a body includ ing bottom side and end membersand a top member bearingupon the body members, L bars bearing upon theconfronting edges of said body members and overlapping at theirterminals, fastening devices each including a base and a tongue attachedrespectively to the end and side members, each base having a lugextending through the body member to Which it is attached and engaged bythe adjacent L bar, a pin connecting each of said tongues to one of thebases, and fastening means operating respectively through the L bars andinto the base lugs.

4. In a knock doWn crate, a body including side and end members and atop member, bars bearing over the confronting edges of said bodymembers, guard members bearing upon said side and end members andengaging over the bars, fastening devices including bases havingcoacting tongues and attached respectively to the end and side members,the bases which are attached to the end members being providedrespectively with lugs Which extend through the adjacent end member andare engaged by the adjacent bar, fastening means connecting saidtongues, and fastening means operating respectively through the guardsand bars of the end members and into the lugs.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ORLANDO KLING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

